Faced With True Evil
by Mr.Ryals
Summary: After Dark Oak was defeated peace has been apart of the friends life, but now new tactics are being used against them. Lives are at risk and if could lead to the down fall of the Freedom Fighter as they face a threat that has each of them throwing their lives on the line to protect Mobius.


Mobius and the heroes of the planet had not come across any evil doers or attacks for almost three years. Once Dark Oak had been killed no race dared to challenge the heroes of the planet and hostile forces kept clear from the planets close to Mobius. Even had vanished without a trace only rarely having reports of tiny hovering robots that only had video cameras on them that would scout out the cities and cause no trouble, many started to think the doctor had locked himself away from the world to die alone but only looked outside on the world through a computer screen.

With everything being more at peace Sonic had time to slow down for a change and he had even given into Amy's none stop chase for a date with him. After awhile the hedgehog started to realize that he loved her as much as she did for him. Tails had kept to himself as he worked on his inventions that earned him a fair amount of money when he wanted to sell, Sally offered the young fox a job in her kingdom as head inventor but he kindly declined the offer wanting to stay close to the last remaining thing of Cosmo he had left, a rose that he had placed inside of small green house he had build within his workshop to care for the plant.

The peace was great for Knuckles the only person that he had to deal with was Rouge trying to take get close to the Master Emerald but after a few times of stopping her the bat revealed she had done it only to get closer to him, and it was not long after that they had become a pair who would explore old ruins for lost treasures.

The Chaos Emeralds had been scattered across the world to help prevent anyone from using their amazing power unless of emergencies, but that did not keep Rouge from searching for them when ever she was away from Knuckles. She had managed to fix an old emerald tracker herself and within the first second of turning on the device she could see that one of the emeralds was only a few miles out at sea, her smile grew at the thought of the large glowing treasure in her hands and she knew she had to try to get it tonight before someone discovered her having the radar, she opened her window and let her wings carry her up into the air as she headed towards the object she so wanted.

The bat's radar lead her to island and after just a few seconds being there she could tell it had at one time been an Eggman base that had left to rot but that only made it easier for her to get her prize but it did not help her shake the unfeeling she had from sight of all the rotting robots. Finding the door was easy but opening it was cake, no traps online and robots inside were all damaged beyond repair from an attack long ago making a clear path for her to the emerald. Humming as she walking into the room were the Blue Emerald sat glowing on a table with dust covering it she felt ashamed to think of taking it with out a fight but a emerald as a emerald. Rouge reached for her prize only to have a sharp pain shoot through both her wings then was pulled to her knees, looking she was in utter terror both wings had a metallic hook in the bones of the wings that were connected to a wire in the floor keeping her from being able to move as they pulled her down more with her slightest move.

"Just the bat I was waiting for." a raspy and almost mechanical voice called out from with in the dark room.

"Who said that?", Rouge yelled out in pain and horror looking around trying to catch a glimpse of who was talking to her

"Am just a doctor, who is in need of a test subject.", the voice said again followed by foot steps as they grew close behind Rouge.

Rouge shivered as a hand touched her neck "Are you going to kill me?", she whimpered in terror but the voice did not answer instead she spun around her bones in her wings snapping from the being pulled by the hooks, her eyes were flowing tears and screams escaped her mouth. Rouge was shivering in fear she was eye to eye with the person causing her pain but all she was locked on to was his green eye the other hidden withing the mask that was on the creatures face.

"If you can survive what's going to happen perhaps you will find your way home.", hissed the masked figure

Before passing out from the pain all she could think about was Knuckles and praying that she would able to see him again to hold him close and take her far away.

-Six Months Later-

The Team searched long and hard for Rouge but could not find their friend, when trying to locate The Chaos Emeralds hoping that they find her close to her treasures but could not locate any on radar it was like they had vanished far beyond reach, Tails could not explain what was going on his inventions never failed him. Sonic searched the land trying to find any location of the base of Eggman, if anyone was to blame it had to be the doctor. Searching high and low...even in bases old Sonic found no trace of the Doctor or Rouge.

After Two Months of searching the team had finally given up hope, Knuckles locked himself within his house to alone in his grief and loneliness. Sonic had requested the help of Sally Acorn to put a search out for Eggman, indebted to the hedgehog for all his loyal deeds and their friendship she sent her Kingdom's troops to search for Eggman but even with all her troops they too could not locate the evil doctor's lair, causing Sonic to give up hope of finding his friend.

Even with Rouge missing everyone slowly began to go back with their lives but always with the thought of Rouge in the back of their heads, everyone but Knuckles who stayed inside of his house locked away from a world without Rouge.

It was finally the time of the year where they celebrate the victory they had over Dark Oak and remember the loss of their dear friend Cosmo, Everyone was going to be there and Sonic was not going to allow Knuckles to miss out or allow him to stay in that house any longer.

"Go away."

Sonic shook his head and leaned against the door, "Open it up Knucklehead."

"If I do it will only be too punch that long nose of yours!"

Sonic chuckled at Knuckles threat, "Come on, Tails will be happy to see you it would mean a lot to him if you showed up."

There was no reply but Sonic knew Knuckles was right on behind the door unsure what to say...just wanting to be left alone. Sonic was just a knock on the door at full speed but cased a shadow over him causing him to look up to see large robot making a landing in front of the house. The robot was in the shape of a bat that had glowing red eyes and razor sharp talons and fangs.

"Eggman?", Sonic gasped in surprise of the massive size of the robot that that was spreading its wings glaring at the hedgehog letting loss a horrible screech that caused the hedgehog to buckle in pain as he covered his ears.

The Echina burst through his door and flew all the way to the bat punching the jaw of the robot knocking the massive robot to the ground, "If you don't leave am going to send you to the junkyard!"

The robot lifted its self up and looked towards Knuckles it's head turned to the side almost like it was confused and opened its quickly it's mouth causing the air to buckle around as a powerful sound wave rushed out its throat and hit the two heroes causing them to fly back hitting the house.

"No games EGGMAN!" Knuckles yelled as he jumped up slamming his fist to the ground causing a large fireball to escape the area of his fist shooting towards the bat engulfing the robot in fire, as the flames died down both metal wings were nothing but numbs and it laid on its stomach with its metallic shell running off it like ice cream in the sun dripping red hot on the grass burning the green Earth. Knuckles smile grew on his face with so much stress he was happy to unleash the new attack he had invented to allow all his built up rage to be let out in a powerful attack, but his smile faded when the sound of a horrible scream of pain rang out of the inside of the robot. His along with Sonic's both grew wide that scream was familiar that scream was coming from...

"ROUGE!",Knuckles screamed running to the large robot, Sonic tried to stop his panic friend but Knuckles pushed him away jumping on the blazing metal and began to rip the chest of the robot open using the scream from inside to help guide him. Pain screamed through his hands as his flesh began to burn and the smell was horrible but he had to push it all way from now...he had no time for pain he had to save her.

When Knuckle's eyes finally got a gimps of Rouge through the smoke that was inside of he pulled with all his strength causing her to scream as she was having the wires keeping her inside ripped from her body and rushed her away from the heat of the machine and laid her on the grass resting her head on his knee. When Sonic rushed over to help but gasped in shock at what he saw, Knuckles looked to Sonic and then to Rouge only to see what he could not through the smoke, her left arm and both wings had been removed only to be replaced with wires and metal tubing and her flesh had been burned by the heat of Knuckles attack.

Eyes now flowing tears Knuckles looked into his loves weak eyes knowing all to well that she will be leaving him again very soon and this tie she would nto be coming back, "Sweetie...tell what you can remember I will make Eggman suffer.", he struggled to say his rage mixed with sorrow consuming his being

Rouge grabbed Knuckles pulling him close her eyes weaker then before "Not Eggman...those eyes...those horrible green eyes.", Rouge took one last gasp of air before she went limp in his arms.

"Knuckles let me have her I will take her to the hospital before its to late.", Sonic said with terror in his voice but when he reached for her he was punched causing the hedgehog to fall to the ground, after picking himself he saw that Knuckles holding on to her tight "Please Knuckles while we can before we cant save her."

"No..I wont let go of her...not again.", the guardian whimpered holding his loved close to him his tears dripping down off his face and on to her cheek as he took her hand in his holding it tight as her grip finally faded away.


End file.
